July 8, 2013

Information about the textbook reporting requirement

The following information relates to meeting the textbook reporting requirements for the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008:

1. The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, Public Law 110‐315, Section 133, was designed to ensure students have access to affordable college textbooks and supplemental materials.

2. The act mandates that universities must make information about required textbook and supplemental materials available to students in their online course schedules by July 1. They must also make certain information available to their affiliated bookstores.

3. Affiliated bookstores working with K‐State to meet the federal mandate are: the K‐State Bookstores operated by Follett (Manhattan campus and Salina campus) and KVESS, College of Veterinary Medicine.

4. To meet the requirement, the bookstores will continue to collect the required textbook information from faculty and make it available to students. Links are included in iSIS and the registrar's online course schedule to the bookstore listings.

5. Students will be able to link through iSIS or the registrar's online course schedule to textbook information for each course/section listing maintained by the bookstores.

6. Students continue to have the ability to purchase textbooks anywhere.

7. Faculty will need to respond to requested information from the bookstores, even if it is to report that they will not be using a textbook. The process is very simple.

8. The bookstores will continue to follow up with faculty and department heads on the Manhattan campus or the dean's office on the Salina campus, as needed.

9. Four weeks prior to the beginning of each semester, summary compliance reports of faculty within their college will be provided to the deans for follow up if needed. Reports will be sent by the office of academic personnel.

To all Kansas State University teaching personnel:

If you are notified by your dean’s office that your name appears on the "noncompliant" list, please let your corresponding affiliated bookstore know whether — and why — your name appears in error, whether your course has no textbook, or whether you have not decided what the textbook will be. Copy academicpersonnel@k-state.edu on your communication.